Improvement in stilts



L. BORDEWIOH. Stilts.

No. 202,782. I Patented April 23, I878.

WITNESSES f |NVENT R r AT ORN EYvS.

N-FETERS, FHOTO LITHOGRAPHEE WASHINGTON, D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS BORDEWIGH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN STILT'S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 202,782, dated April 23, 1878,- application filed March 4, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs Bonnnwron, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Stilts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it app'ertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specication, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of one of my improved adjustable stilts. Fig. 2 is a side view, and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention relates to stilts; and it consists in the construction and combination of parts of adjustable stilts, or extension-stilts, substantially as hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, A is the stick or prop of one of a pair of my improved stilts, to the lower end of which is fastened, by cementing or in any other suitable manner, a rubber or leather disk or pad, a. The prop is divided oil, by suitable marks, into sections an inch in length each, and numbered from the bottom 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., after the manner of a rule or gage. Upon the top of the prop is secured arnbber ball or cap, I). B is the footbracket, which is preferably made concave on its straight side, so as to fit and easily slide up and down upon the prop A,up0n which it may be secured in any given position by a jamb-rin g or sleeve, G, havingascrew-threaded shank, c, which passes through, obliquely or slantingly, a perforation in the bracket B, as represented by dotted lines at d. e is a thumbnut, which fits upon the screw-threaded shank c, and by means of which, in combination with the sleeve 0, the foot-bracket may be firmly secured upon the prop at any given point.

Upon the top of bracket B is hinged the foot-plate D, provided with straps f, for keeping the foot in its proper position upon the plate. Projecting downward at a right angle to the plate D, under the heel part, is an arm, g, which abuts against the side of the footbracket and terminates in a short spiral spring, k, the other end of which is secured farther down on the bracket, and which serves to keep plate D in its horizontal position at a right \flask angle to bracket B, as shown. E is the leg strap, by which the stilts are buckled onto the leg just below the knee.

By marking the props of each pair of in the manner described, the foot-brackets of each stilt may always be adjusted at even height without first measuring the distance from the ground; and another advantage is, that a novice in the art of walking on stilts can see what progress is made from day to day, adjusting the foot-brackets inch by inch as he acquires practice and experience in the art. The thumb-nut and sleeve admit of the easy and safe adjustment of the brackets without possibility of slipping; and the foot-plate, being hinged and provided with the spring h, will give to the foot the motions in walking, thereby preventing undue wearing of the sole of the boot, and also preventing soreness of the foot of the operator. The rubber caps on the tops of the props will prevent these from scratching or otherwise injuring the paint or paper on doors, walls, &c., against which the props may be placed while the operator is adjusting them upon his legs, while those at the bottom will prevent slipping in walking, and also deaden the noise when the stilts are used in a room.

Having thus described" my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. As an improvement in stilts, the props A, divided by suitable marks into sections of equal length, substantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth.

2. The combination, in an adjustable stilt, of the prop A, sliding foot-bracket B, having perforation d, sleeve 0, having screw-threaded shank c and thumb-nut e, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

3. The combination of the foot-bracket B, hinged footplate D, having fastening-straps f and downward projecting arm 9 and spring h, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and de scribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS BORDEWICH.

Witnesses FRANK SCHUENEWALT, ALLAN J oHNsoN. 

